A vehicular child monitoring system includes a child monitoring device having a connector for securing the device within a motor vehicle and oriented toward a child seat. The device includes a mirror, a seat connector, a camera, and a control system having a wireless communication unit and a plurality of sensors. The sensors include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a proximity sensor, and a child detection sensor. A child monitoring application is communicatively linked to the communication unit and includes functionality for displaying the information received from the camera and each of the sensors, and for determining a separation distance with the child monitoring device. The system including functionality for determining that a child is in the car seat and sending an alarm to an external device if the vehicle temperature is above a set threshold.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A vehicular child monitoring system, comprising: a main body having a front surface, a back surface and an inside space; a seat connector that is positioned along the back surface of the main body; a camera that is positioned along the front surface of the main body; a mirror that is positioned along the front surface of the main body at a location adjacent to the camera; a child detection sensor that is positioned along the main body, said child detection sensor including functionality for detecting a presence of a child located in line with the front surface of the main body; a temperature sensor that is positioned along the main body, said temperature sensor being configured to detect a temperature of a vehicle in which the main body is located; and a control system that is positioned within the main body, said control system including a processor and a memory, and is communicatively linked to the camera, the child detection sensor and the temperature sensor, wherein the control system includes functionality for generating an alert upon receiving a notification from the child detection sensor that a child is in the vehicle and receiving a notification that a temperature in the vehicle is above a set threshold, and wherein the control system includes a wireless transceiver for communicating the alert with an external device.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system includes functionality for determining a location of the main body.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the alert communicated to the external device includes the determined location.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the communication unit includes a cellular transceiver, and the memory is configured to receive a list of contacts from a user.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the list of contacts includes at least one of a telephone number or text message address, and wherein the external device comprises a device connected to one of the telephone number or text message address.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the mirror is removably connected to the main body.
7. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a child monitoring application that includes machine readable instructions for execution on the external processor enabled device having a speaker, internet connectivity, and a display screen.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the external device comprises a device on which the child monitoring application is installed.
9. The system of claim 7, wherein the child monitoring application includes functionality for selectively activating the camera of the child monitoring device.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the child monitoring application includes functionality for displaying audiovisual information captured by the camera on the display screen of the external processor enabled device.
11. The system of claim 7, further comprising: at least one light that is disposed along the main body of the child monitoring device.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the child monitoring application includes functionality for selectively activating each of the at least one light on the child monitoring device.
13. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system includes: a memory; and a processor that is in communication with the memory and the wireless transceiver.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the memory is configured to receive and store audiovisual information captured by the camera.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver includes at least one of a WiFi transceiver or a Bluetooth transceiver.
16. The system of claim 15, further comprising: a proximity sensor that is configured to measure a strength of a signal received from the wireless communication unit; and a child monitoring application that includes machine readable instructions for execution on the external processor enabled device having a speaker, internet connectivity, and a display screen.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the signal strength of the received signal is calculated to determine a separation distance between the child monitoring device and the external processor enabled device running the child monitoring application.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the control system includes functionality for initiating an alarm protocol when the separation distance between the child monitoring device and the external processor enabled device running the child monitoring application is beyond a predetermined threshold.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the alarm protocol includes activating a speaker of the external processor enabled device.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
November 18, 2022
January 21, 2025
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